


Ask me again

by Carzekiel101



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, episode tag for 9x01 A new beginning, episode tag for 9x02 The Bridge, episode tag for 9x03 Warning Signs, episode tag for 9x04 The Obliged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:21:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carzekiel101/pseuds/Carzekiel101
Summary: Carol regrets her decision to stay at the Sanctuary...
Relationships: Ezekiel/Carol Peletier
Comments: 7
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Ask me again**

Disclaimer: They`re not mine. Not making any profit with them. Just having fun.

Warning: VERY sexy. Go away if you don`t like that! Not kidding.

„Goddammit, what the hell were you thinking?!” Carol grumbles to herself as she slowly walks through the dark and quiet Sanctuary on her way back to the room that she shares with Ezekiel.

Ezekiel.

How on earth is she supposed to tell him what she just did? He is going to be disappointed. Worse, he is going to feel rejected. And that is the last thing that Carol wants, especially after what happened today.

She almost lost him this morning at the damn museum when the glass floor gave in under their weight. Carol had been scared out of her mind, for a moment thinking that he would fall to his death right before her eyes. She stops, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, trying to shake the horrifying image from her mind.

“He`s okay” she tells herself. “He`s sleeping upstairs. Everything`s okay.”

After taking another deep breath, Carol continues her way up the stairs, but as much as she tries not to think about it anymore, her mind keeps coming back to that moment. It had all happened so fast, but to her it had felt like an eternity, watching Ezekiel fight for his life, the walkers below him reaching for him, trying to pull him down.

Carol hadn`t felt that afraid in years, not since the day she lost Sophia, the relief she felt when they were finally able to pull Ezekiel back up overwhelming. She had thrown herself into his arms after making sure that he was unharmed, not able to keep her hands from touching him, kissing him again and again, whispering “I love you” into his ear. She didn`t even care that they`ve been the center of everyone`s attention, all her senses focused on him.

All she wanted to do in that moment was to go back home to the Kingdom with him, even after the initial shock had worn off and their group was on their way back out of the city. But as usual things hadn`t gone as planned and instead of going home they had ended up here at the Sanctuary, forced to stay the night. Carol had felt uncomfortable from the moment they stepped through the doors, so much so that she wasn`t able to sleep, something that rarely happened anymore since she started sharing a bed with Ezekiel.

But tonight sleep wouldn`t come and so Carol climbed out of bed, wandering around in the building, by chance happening upon Rick and Daryl, overhearing their conversation. And that is what caused her current dilemma. She had felt bad for Daryl, wanting to help her friend, give him a break from his unwanted duties at the Sanctuary and therefore offered to take over for him for a while so he could go and visit Maggie and the baby at Hilltop.

Carol regretted that offer almost instantly, though, realizing that Ezekiel would probably take her decision the wrong way, thinking that she was running away from him and his love, from their life together. Nothing could be farther from the truth, though. Carol loves her life, loves Ezekiel more than she ever thought possible. She knows without a doubt that he is the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

Smiling, Carol thinks back to Ezekiel`s proposal earlier today. She knows that her first reaction – _“Put that thing away”_ – has been a little harsh and seeing the look on his face she was quick to add – _“This is not happening on a horse!”_ – to make him understand that she wasn`t completely opposed to the idea of marrying him. Sure, when he first approached the topic, Carol had told him not to ask her that question, not because she didn`t love him or had any doubts about their relationship – no, she just feared that getting married would somehow change things between them and Carol was perfectly happy with the way things were.

That has been some months ago and Carol has already changed her mind about that. The past 18 months have been the happiest in her life, the bond and love that she shares with Ezekiel only getting deeper and stronger with every passing day. Today Ezekiel had caught her off-guard, her reaction more out of habit and yes, she`d also been a little miffed that he would just hold a ring into her face like that after nearly getting killed. On a horse, for crying out loud! Carol rolls her eyes, snickering. She thinks she can expect better than that from her King.

Now standing in front of their room, Carol is at a loss for what to do. A part of her wants to turn around on her heels, seek Daryl and tell him that she changed her mind, that she can`t stay at the Sanctuary because her family – Ezekiel and Henry – is way more important to her than playing babysitter for some Saviors. But then again there`s another part of her that feels a little guilty and that wants to help her friends.

Sighing, Carol opens the door quietly, careful not to wake Ezekiel. She`s surprised to find the small bedside lamp burning, meaning that he must have been awake after she left, leaving it on for her. For a moment she just stands there, watching him sleep, wondering for the millionth time what is was that she did to deserve this beautiful man in her life. He stirs, slowly coming awake, his subconscious telling him she is near. The smile he gives her when he sees her makes her heart race in her chest.

“Hey, beautiful. Where have you been?” Ezekiel`s voice is rough with sleep, silk over sandpaper.

It is right then that Carol makes a decision. She walks over to the bed and sits down on the edge, leaning over to press a soft kiss to Ezekiel`s lips.

“I couldn`t sleep. This place – I just needed some fresh air.”

She leans down to take her boots off then stands back up and slides her jeans down her legs, neatly putting them aside. She is aware of Ezekiel watching her every move, her skin itching for his touch. She returns to the bed and crawls onto it, straddling his lap. Her fingertips slide up and down over his naked stomach and chest, caressing his smooth skin. When she stops, Ezekiel sits up and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his body.

Carol`s hands come to rest on his cheeks, guiding his face to hers for a tender kiss and then another one. His hands slip under her shirt to caress her back. Carol wraps her arms around his neck, staring into his eyes, the love she sees reflected there reassuring her that what she is about to say is the right thing. She licks her lips, drawing his attention there.

“Ask me again” she says, her voice a husky whisper.

Ezekiel`s eyes dart from her mouth to her eyes, a cute frown appearing on his face, not quite getting what it is that she is asking from him. Tilting her head a little, Carol raises an eyebrow, repeating her words, accentuating each one of them.

“Ask. Me. Again.”

The frown disappears and is replaced by a huge grin as Ezekiel gets the meaning of her words. One of his hands sneaks out from under her shirt and grabs the back of her head, crashing her mouth down on his. She returns the kiss willingly, only pulling away when they`re both breathless. Realizing that he still hasn`t said anything, she prompts him again, panting into his face.

“Ezekiel?”

“Oh. Yeah!”

But instead of asking her THE question again, he pushes her off his lap and scrambles out of bed, frantically rummaging through his clothes. When he found what he was looking for, he turns back to the bed where Carol is sitting on her knees, watching him with a bemused smile on her face.

Ezekiel drops to his knees in front of her and takes her hands into his, intent on doing it the right way this time.

“Carol.”

He`s been thinking about this moment a lot, even started writing one of his speeches, but right now Ezekiel is at a loss for words, his emotions causing a lump in his throat. Carol waits patiently, squeezing his hands to reassure him. Clearing his throat, he tries again.

“Carol – you turned my world upside down when we first met. I know you thought I was crazy ( _she scrunches her nose at that comment, giggling)_ but still I felt a connection to you like never before in my life and I couldn`t let you walk out of my life again. You made me fall head over heels in love with you – your strength, your bravery, your kindness. Giving me your love is the greatest gift, the most precious thing that I will always cherish. You make me happier than I ever thought possible. So – would you please honor me with being my wife?”

Despite her best efforts not to cry, some tears started running down Carol`s cheeks and Ezekiel reaches up to wipe them away. She grabs his hand and holds it to her face, turning her head a little to kiss his palm. Trembling a little, she holds her left hand out to him.

“Yes!”

Smiling, Ezekiel slides the ring on her finger, guiding her hand to his lips to press a kiss on it, before getting to his feet and bowing down to kiss her tenderly, holding her head between his large hands. He slides onto the bed, moving them so they can lay down in the middle, bodies pressed together, legs entangled.

“What made you change your mind?”

Carol is not about to spoil the mood by telling him that he will have to go home alone in the morning, so she just purses her lips, shrugging non-chalantly.

“Nothing, really. I wanted to say “yes” all along, it`s just that it was –“

“Bad timing?” he suggests.

“Yeah.”

They resume their leisurely kissing, hands stroking, slowly divesting each other of their remaining clothing. They are in no hurry, their kisses gradually getting deeper, their tongues sliding against each other, drinking each other in. They are in perfect harmony, taking their sweet time to arouse each other, both knowing exactly where and how to touch to turn their bodies on in the most pleasurable way.

Carol has her hand wrapped around his hard-on, languidly stroking up and down, adding a little squeeze every now and then. She loves the feel of him in her hand, the texture, the silky smoothness over steel. She can`t wait to have him inside of her, fill her, but she is patient, knowing the reward will be worth it.

Ezekiel keeps playing with her taut nipples, alternating between squeezing and softly tugging on them, then running his fingers around and over them, sending jolts of pleasure through her whole body. Tearing his mouth from hers he bows down to suck one deep into his mouth, running his tongue over it, causing Carol to buck her hips involuntarily, a deep moan escaping her parted lips.

Ezekiel takes the hint, and pushing her to her back he switches to her other breast while at the same time sliding his hand between her legs, opening her up, humming his approval when his fingers are greeted by a gush of wetness. He releases her nipple from his mouth, seeking her lips again. Carol locks her ankles around his back as he easily slides into her, holding him close, arms wrapped around his neck.

He moves slowly for long minutes, dragging himself out completely before pushing back in to the hilt, rotating his hips against her in a maddening rhythm. Carol`s hands move restlessly over his back and ass, feeling his muscles flex under her fingers, reveling in his strength, the power he has over her body. She loves to let go of her control in Ezekiel`s arms, her trust in him unlimited.

Lifting his body a little, Ezekiel pushes her legs up further, resting them on his shoulders. He places his hands next to her head and increases his tempo, hitting her sweet spot with every powerful thrust. Carol`s fingers dig into his arms, staring at him wide-eyed as she comes almost immediately, her walls gripping at him in an effort to hold him in, but he keeps moving unrelenting, dragging her orgasm on and on until she feels she might pass out from the intense pleasure.

Maybe she does for a second because she can`t remember closing her eyes, but when she opens them again Ezekiel`S face is right above hers. He`s still, but she can feel him pulsing inside of her, not yet finished. He gently releases her legs, careful not to hurt her. It`s this sort of thoughtfulness even in the throes of passion that make Carol fall in love with him over and over again every time she experiences it.

Her hands fly to his face and she pulls him down for a deep kiss, tasting the salty flavor of his sweat on his lips. She tries to push him to his back, ready to take over the work and finish him, but he resists, sitting back on his hunches instead, a feral look on his face. His erection proudly stands tall, coated in her wetness. Carol can`t stop staring at it, her pussy clenching in want to have it back inside of her.

Licking her lips, she forces herself to look up into Ezekiel`s face again, opening her legs wide in invitation. His eyes dart to her opening, all pink and wet, tempted for a second to bury his face there, taste her, but he shakes his head, the need to drive himself into her again stronger. He motions for Carol to turn around and she does what he wants, lying on her stomach. She tries to lift her bottom for him, but he keeps her down with a soft press to her spine, settling his weight on her.

Ezekiel laces their fingers together and with a soft kiss to her shoulder blade, he enters her again, setting up a fast rhythm, his knees pressed into the mattress on either side of her for further leverage. Carol presses her face into the pillows, unable to contain the sounds she is making, spurring him on. She`s hit by another tidal wave of orgasms that make her head snap back and her toes curl, mouth open in a silent scream.

Ezekiel pushes himself back up, his hands gripping her waist as he keeps hitting her hard while his own orgasm washes over him, emptying himself inside of her. He sits back on his heels, sweat streaming down his body, heart racing like crazy in his chest. Trying to catch his breath, he pats her behind lovingly, eyes glued to their still joined body parts. Carol raises up enough on her elbows to look at him over her shoulder.

Ezekiel leans forward and grabs the short wet curls at the base of her neck to pull her back for a kiss. When they part, he carefully pulls out of her and slumps down on the mattress next to her, grinning.

“You are incredible.”

Carol laughs, shaking her head. “I didn`t do anything, that was all you.”

Rolling to his side, Ezekiel wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her close, nuzzling her neck.

“No, this is us. We were simply made for each other.”

Turning a little, Carol snuggles up against him, resting her head over his heart.

“I like that.”

She yawns heartily and after another quick peck to his lips, closes her eyes and finally falls asleep for the first time this night.

When Ezekiel wakes up at the crack of dawn, he is alone in bed again. Rolling to his back he searches the room for Carol in the dim light, spotting her standing by the window, wrapped in one of the bed sheets. He gets up and walks over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

“You`re up early.”

Carol is silent, trying to summon up the courage to tell Ezekiel about her deal with Daryl. Sensing that something is bothering her, Ezekiel asks “What`s wrong, baby?”

Knowing that she can`t run away from this conversation, Carol closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

“I made a mistake last night.”

Ezekiel`s arms immediately drop from around her, his body going rigid. He takes a step backwards, putting some space between them. Carol turns to look at him, frowning. When she sees the defeated look on his face, she immediately realizes her mistake. She quickly takes a step towards him, reaching for his hands, not caring that the sheet she`s been wrapped in falls to the floor.

“Zeke, no! I wasn`t talking about us! I do wanna marry you. I never wanted anything that much in my life. Please, don`t doubt me!”

She presses herself against him and buries her face in his neck, on the verge of crying. Why has she been so stupid? Ezekiel`s hands come up to crush her against him, soothing her, feeling a little ashamed that he thought she was talking about their engagement.

“I`m sorry” he says, running his hands up and down her back.

Carol raises her head to look at him, softly stroking his cheek.

“Me, too.”

Ezekiel leans down to pick up the sheet from the floor and wraps it around Carol`s shoulders again, protecting her from the chill of the room. She snuggles against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“What were you talking about then?”

Playing with a strand of his dreads, Carol tells him what happened last night after she left their room. He listens without interrupting her, but she notices from his body language that he is not happy.

“So, you want to stay here at the Sanctuary” he says when she is finished.

Carol shakes her head vigorously.

“No! I don`t _wan_ t to stay here! I hate this place. I just – I wanted to help. But the idea of being away from you, it makes me feel sick.”

Ezekiel tilts her chin up to make her look at him directly.

“Then we go to Rick and Daryl and tell them that they need to find another solution. I`m not against helping, but the Sanctuary is Rick`s project. I don`t want you here alone if it makes you uncomfortable in any way.”

Sighing deeply, Carol rests her forehead against his.

“They rely on me. I cannot let them down.”

Ezekiel was expecting that answer and he admires her for her loyalty towards her friends, but the thought of leaving her behind makes his heart beat faster and not in a good way.

“So? Then what?”

“Stay here with me. Just for a little bit. Until someone else can take over.”

Her eyes are pleading with him to say yes, this being the only solution she would be comfortable with. Carol already knows what he is going to say next, though, and is prepared for it.

“What about Henry? He needs us, too.”

Henry. They`ve only been away from the Kingdom for a day now and Carol already misses her boy. She started considering him her son – _their_ son – a long while ago and when Henry suddenly began calling her “Mom” she was moved to tears. He is the sweetest boy, so much like Ezekiel that it sometimes leaves her stumped when she watches the two of them together. They have become her family and she loves both of them with all her heart.

Carol would love to tell Ezekiel that Henry could come and stay with them, their family being together, but all children at the Kingdom were required to attend school and she wouldn`t want any exceptions for Henry just because he was the King`s son.

“He will be fine at the Kingdom. He can stay with Jerry and Nabila as he always does when we are away for a couple days. Maybe he can come and visit us here. It`s not gonna be for long anyway. Maybe a week or two. Just to give Rick some time.”

Carol sees it on his face right away that Ezekiel is going to give in. He doesn`t like the idea of leaving Henry at the Kingdom without them any more than Carol does, but he knows that Henry will be safe at home with their friends and leaving the Sanctuary without Carol is just not an option for him. He pulls her against him and kisses the top of her head.

Sighing theatrically, Ezekiel says “You know that I can`t say “no” to you, my love.”

Carol grins, rubbing her nose against his cheek. She was indeed counting on that. Curling her fingers into his beard, she guides him to her mouth, softly moving her lips against his. The sheet hits the floor again, this time on purpose, as she presses her body tightly against his, her fingertips scratching his sides seductively.

“I know” she breathes against his mouth “is there anything I can make it up with?”

Sliding his hands down her body, Ezekiel pretends to think about her question, then in a swift move lifts her up and carries her back to the bed. Gasping in surprise, Carol wraps her arms around his neck. Ezekiel lowers her to the bed, covering her body with his.

“I`m sure you can think of something, my Queen” he says before engaging her in another deep kiss.

They make sweet love again as the sun comes up over the Sanctuary, promising a new day full of opportunities. They will deal with the rest of the world later, together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol waits impatiently for Ezekiel and Henry to come visit her at the camp. Episode tag to 9x02 The Bridge.

**The camp, now**

Carol is checking the clock for probably the 20th time in the past five minutes, unable to concentrate on the conversation going on around her. They are gathered at the “office” tent at the camp for their daily meeting – Rick, Daryl, Eugene, Cindy, Jerry and her – discussing current problems and work schedules.

The camp has been set up almost five weeks ago, a mutual project of all communities to repair the broken bridge – an essential means for all of them to keep up the trade business. The bridge was equally important for all communities and work has gone rather well over the past couple weeks, the main problems so far being the weather conditions and the food supply.

These are the things that are currently being discussed at the meeting and Carol knows that she should be paying attention, but her mind is occupied otherwise.

“I`m sure they will be here soon, boss” Jerry`s voice draws her attention.

Carol looks up at him from her sitting position, then glances again at the clock. With a sudden determination she gets up from her chair, moving towards the open entry of the tent. She leaves the meeting, addressing no one in particular when she says “I go looking for them.”

Carol makes a short stop at her own tent to put on her armor and when she comes out she almost runs into Daryl, who had been waiting for her outside.

“Do you want me to come with you?” he asks.

Carol doesn`t even stop on her way out of camp, telling him in a tone that leaves no room for argument “No!”

She makes her way through the woods, watchful as always, but the area around the camp is pretty much clear of walkers, which allows her to move freely and at a fast pace. When she woke up this morning at the first light of day, Carol had been in a good mood, knowing that she would finally see Ezekiel and Henry again today. She had busied herself throughout the morning, but when noon had started to come closer and they still hadn`t shown up at the camp, her impatience and nervousness had grown by the minute, fearing the something has happened on the way from the Kingdom to the camp.

It`s been almost two weeks since Carol has last been home at the Kingdom for a short visit and she misses her boys like crazy. She has hardly seen Henry at all since her and Ezekiel (well, okay, mostly her) had decided to stay at the Sanctuary together in order to help out when Daryl had gotten sick of playing babysitter. Their stay there had lasted longer then they had originally planned with everyone being busy to set up the camp.

When everything had been up and running, Ezekiel had returned home to the Kingdom, only half-way happy but knowing that Carol was right when she said that their people needed their King around – and Henry his father. Ezekiel had come to the camp as often as possible, but usually just for a few hours before returning to the Kingdom, only spending the night on one or two occasions.

Carol herself has only been at the Kingdom twice in the past few weeks, once after leaving the Sanctuary with Ezekiel to pack up some things for her stay at the camp and then about two weeks ago when the longing to see Ezekiel and Henry had become too much. She hasn`t seen either of them since that visit and was looking forward to have them around for a couple days now at the camp.

Carol is already close to the road when she catches some movement through the trees, slowing down so as not to be seen herself. She moves forward carefully, but before she can fully see who is in front of her, she recognizes Henry`s voice, followed by Ezekiel`s laughter. Her heart starts beating faster knowing they`re near and she rushes through the trees in order to catch up with them. When she steps out of the tree line and onto the road, they are already up ahead by a bit.

Henry is in the back of a wagon with Ezekiel riding next to him, the two of them engaged in a vivid conversation by the looks of it. Just when Carol is about to shout out to them, Henry turns his head and sees her standing in the middle of the road.

“Mom!”

He jumps off the wagon and runs towards Carol, throwing himself into her arms. As soon as he hears his son`s excited scream, Ezekiel orders William to stop the wagon, quickly climbing off his horse and following Henry to greet Carol.

“Hey, you” Carol smiles up at him as he approaches her with a huge grin on his face. His hands go around her waist immediately to pull her into a hug before descending his mouth on hers for a quick passionate kiss.

“Hey, beautiful” he says. “What are you doing out here?”

His eyes scan the area and when he doesn`t see anyone else, he adds “Are you alone?”

Carol looks from him to Henry and back to Ezekiel again, an accusing look on her face.

“You`re late! I got worried. What took you so long?”

Ezekiel exchanges a quick glance with Henry, then says “We had to take a detour. The road was blocked and we couldn`t get past it with the wagon. Sorry for worrying you, my love.”

Carol knows her boys well enough to realize that this is only half-way true, but for now she is satisfied with the answer and more than happy to have them back with her. Ezekiel will eventually tell her the rest of the story, she is certain of that.

“Well, you`re here now. That`s all that matters.”

“Mom, look what we brought!”

Henry had been silently watching his parents, rolling his eyes and making a face when he saw them kiss, something that he often witnesses Carol doing when Ezekiel is acting silly in an attempt to make her laugh. Now he impatiently tugs at his mother`s hand to pull her back to the wagon, eager to show her what they have loaded. Pulling back the cover, Henry proudly reveals their cargo to her. Next to the boxes with fruits and vegetables there is –

“A deer?” Carol looks up at Ezekiel in surprise, then at Henry, who is bouncing on his feet in excitement.

“We went hunting yesterday!”

“Really?” Carol can`t keep the smile off her face at her son`s obvious happiness, though she clearly remembers her last conversation with Ezekiel about this topic. Raising an eyebrow at him, she says “I thought you said that Henry was too young to go hunting?”

Ezekiel shrugs his shoulders.

“I did. But he wouldn`t stop begging and so I relented. He was only watching from a safe distance, though!”

Carol chuckles, knowing all too well that Henry could be very persistent when he had set his mind to something. Much like his father.

“Next time I don`t just want to watch!” Henry now says, counting on his mother`s backup.

“We will see about that” Ezekiel tries to stand his ground, although he already knows that he will give in eventually, not able to withstand the combined persuasive abilities of mother and son.

“Dad!”

Ezekiel first thinks that Henry is already trying to discuss with him, but when he looks at him with a stern expression on his face, he realizes that Henry is staring down the road, pointing a finger in that direction. A small group of walkers has emerged from the woods on the other side of the road, slowly coming closer.

“Henry, get back on the wagon” Carol orders.

“But, mom!”

“Do as your mother told you.”

Ezekiel`s voice is calm, but stern and Henry knows better than to argue with him now, climbing back on the wagon, his pose ready to attack if his help is needed. Always watching, always ready. Something else he learned from Carol.

Ezekiel hands over his horses harness to Carol, who takes it without taking her eyes off the walkers. Drawing his sword, Ezekiel approaches the walkers. They are slow, obviously been around for a while, not posing a real threat to them. Ezekiel takes them down swiftly, his body moving gracefully as he does so. Recognizing that the situation is under control, Carol relaxes, admiring the sight he makes, the display of his power, with butterflies in her stomach.

“Nice work” she says with a wink as he comes walking back to where she is standing.

Ezekiel takes the harness from her, then addresses William in the front seat of the wagon.

“Onward, to the camp! Our friends are awaiting our arrival!”

He motions for Carol to get up on his horse, then takes a seat behind her. She leans back against him and turning her head she guides his mouth to hers for a tender kiss.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, my love.”

Spurring on his horse, they catch up with the wagon, slowly making their way to the camp.

**The next morning**

Carol slowly comes awake feeling all warm and cozy, the sound of people shuffling around outside, talking and laughing, softly filtering through the material of their tent. She stretches languidly, smiling when she feels Ezekiel`s large hand sprawl out on the exposed stretch of her tummy. She blinks, the brightness momentarily hurting her eyes, then suddenly lifts up on her forearms, eyes wide open, looking around with a confused frown on her face.

“What is it, baby?”

Carol turns her head, the sight of Ezekiel`s smiling face having her relax back against the mattress of the small cot they share.

“What time is it?”

Carol has usually been up at the crack of dawn, not able to sleep very well without Ezekiel around. Now with him by her side, she slept as deep as she hasn`t in the past two weeks.

“A little after seven” Ezekiel answers.

“Really?” Carol stretches again, her eyes searching the tent.

“Where`s Henry?”

“He left for breakfast a couple minutes ago. Said he couldn`t wait any longer or else he would be starving to death.”

Carol giggles – that definitely sounded like Henry.

Ezekiel bows down to kiss her belly button, then moves up to press his lips to hers in a sweet kiss, still tasting the faint flavor of the chocolate he had surprised Carol with after they slipped into “bed” last night. He`d told her that while they had been forced to take a detour on their way to the camp this morning, they had happened upon a small group of houses, neither of them had seen before. Henry had been curious, asking Ezekiel if they could go inside to see if there was anything interesting. Not detecting anything threatening, Ezekiel had agreed. It was obvious that other people had been searching the houses before them, but Henry found some books and – oh wonder – in one of the cellars Ezekiel practically stumbled over a small box of chocolate. The cellar was cool and it looked still edible, so he took it, knowing that Carol had a sweet tooth for chocolate. The delighted smile and toe-curling kiss she gave him was enough of a reward.

Now Carol turns into him, deepening their kiss, moaning into his mouth when she feels Ezekiel`s desire for her pressing into her belly. Ezekiel moves his lips over her jaw and down her neck to fasten on the sweet spot just below her ear that he knows drives her crazy. Carol would love nothing more than to give in to his seduction, but this really wasn`t the place.

“Zeke. We can`t do this here.”

Instead of stopping his ministrations, Ezekiel lets his lips travel down the open V of her shirt, his hand sliding up her bare thigh, humming against her skin.

“Ezekiel!”

Carol pushes against him to get his attention and he looks up with a disappointed pout on his face.

“Don`t look at me like that!” Carol warns him playfully, stroking his beard. “We really can`t do this here.”

“Why not? Wouldn`t be the first time” Ezekiel replies, waggling his eyebrows and propping himself up on his elbow. Carol narrows her eyes at him.

“Yes, but that wasn`t in the light of day with lots of people running around outside. Most importantly Henry. Who could come back any time.”

Sighing dramatically, Ezekiel accepts his defeat. “Okay, I get it. Not a good time now.”

Carol allows herself to snuggle up against him, kissing him lightly.

“Sorry” she murmurs against his lips “I know it`s been a while.”

They look at each other, remembering the last time they`ve been together, smiling fondly at the memory.

**The Kingdom, 10 days ago**

Carol rides through the gates of the Kingdom, jumping off her horse, happy to be home again. She has been at the camp for the past three weeks or so and this morning she just couldn`t stand it anymore, so she saddled up her horse and told Rick that she would go see her family. Good for him, he didn`t try to stop her.

Now Jerry approaches her with a big grin on his face.

“Boss! We didn`t expect you today.”

Jerry had been at the camp with her most of the time, but had returned to the Kingdom for a short break a couple days ago. Carol hands over her horse to him, asking “Where`s Ezekiel?”

Jerry points in the direction of the theater “The King is at his office.”

“Good! Don`t tell him I`m here. I want to surprise him.”

Without waiting for an answer, Carol marches down the street to her home. Once inside, the first thing she does is shed her clothes and stepping under the shower, humming as the warm water hits her body. She takes her time, only leaving the shower when the water starts turning cold. She wraps herself into a soft towel and walks back into the bedroom that she shares with Ezekiel

Standing in front of the mirror, she lets the towel drop to the floor, turning from one side to the other, studying herself. Carol has never considered herself beautiful in any way, the mental and physical abuse by her former husband deeply ingrained in her soul. But being with Ezekiel has made her see herself in a different light. The way he looked at her, touched her, made her feel desirable in a way she never thought possible. In his arms, Carol let go of all her inhibitions, embracing her feminine side and enjoying sex like never before in her life.

Smoothing her hands over her body, Carol mutters to herself “Not that bad.”

She then turns her attention to her underwear drawer, pushing aside the normal stuff, searching for something special.

Back in the day, when she had spent her time in the little cottage near the Kingdom, after she tried to run away, Carol had been systematically searching the small town closest to the Kingdom for anything that could be useful. One day she happened upon what must have been a small boutique. The place seemed untouched by scavengers, probably because it didn`t look like there was anything interesting to be found there from the outside.

And from a practical point of view that was actually true. The clothes that Carol found inside were beautiful but in no way suitable for her purposes – most likely designed for high society dinner parties and not for a life that requested you to be able to run and fight at any given time. What spiked her interest, though, were some rather nice looking dessous – sexy, but not too racy.

Carol had only known Ezekiel for a short time and although she would never admit it, not even to herself, she had already fallen head over heels with him, his presence doing something to her that was both unnerving and exciting at the same time. Whenever he stopped by the cottage to visit her, Carol felt the urge to grab his shirt and kiss him senseless. So on an impulse she had grabbed some of the lingerie and stuffed it into her bag, refusing to think further about the meaning of her actions.

Now she rummages around in her drawer, finally pulling out a black lacy set of bra and panties she knows Ezekiel likes a lot. It feels nice to wear something else than the usual simple cotton underwear and Carol is already looking forward to seeing the look on Ezekiel`s face. She puts on a fresh pair of jeans and a white sleeveless top that hugs her body nicely. Foregoing her boots, she just slips into some sandals that she likes wearing around the house.

After another quick glance into the mirror, Carol pulls the door of the bedroom shut behind her and makes her way over to the theater to surprise her soon-to-be husband.

Carol enters quietly and locks the door from inside so they cannot be disturbed. She finds Ezekiel sitting at his desk on the stage, so engrossed in his work that he doesn`t notice her entering. She walks down the middle aisle, clearing her throat to get his attention.

Ezekiel looks up, his eyes going wide in surprise as he sees her, jumping out of his chair.

“Carol!”

She beams at him, adding a little sway to her hips as she approaches him. Ezekiel`s eyes travel up and down her body, causing goosebumps to rise all over her body, her skin already itching for his touch. Carol climbs the steps that lead up to the stage and stops right in front of him, staring into his gorgeous eyes.

“Sorry to interrupt your work, Your Majesty” she purrs, her voice a seductive whisper. Ezekiel grins at her, once more letting his eyes roam her body in admiration before finally settling on her face again. He licks his lips and takes this last step forward that brings their bodies in contact with each other, one hand going around her waist to secure her against him, the other one weaving into the short curls at the nape of her neck.

“I was just thinking about you” he admits.

Carol lets her hands rest on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat, delighted that she is the cause of it. Ezekiel`s mouth descends on hers, his lips moving softly at first, but their hunger for each other increases by the second, her sweet tongue sneaking out to demand entrance to his mouth that he grants her willingly.

Carol pushes against his chest to steer him back into his chair. She drags her mouth away from his momentarily to straighten up, kicking off her sandals. With her eyes fixed on his, she wriggles out of her jeans, then reaches for the hem of her shirt, but Ezekiel`s hands shoot out to stop her.

“Let me. Please” he croaks out, pulling her closer.

Carol slides onto his lap, hands resting on his shoulders, waiting for his next move. Ezekiel`s hands smooth over her naked thighs, his fingers itching upwards, playing with the fabric of her panties. He hums deep in his throat as he feels the silky material under his fingertips. He teases Carol by running his thumbs lightly over her crotch, the fabric sliding over her sensitive skin, a delicious friction that causes Carol to throw her head back, a moan escaping her parted lips.

Ezekiel feels her wetness soaking through the thin material, tempted to dip his fingers inside, but he forces himself to slide his hands further up her body, catching the hem of her shirt and slowly pushing it over her head, leaving her in just her underwear.

His eyes grow darker, his pupils dilating even further, when he sees her perfectly shaped breasts encased in the black lace, her chest heaving rapidly with every breath. Ezekiel lets his fingers follow the contours of her bra, then sprawls his large hands over her breasts, squeezing them. Carol`s hands fly to his face, her fingers curling into his beard as she guides him to her mouth for a feverish kiss.

When they come up for air, Ezekiel immediately dips his head into her cleavage, sliding his tongue under the fabric of her bra to tease her nipples into tight little buds. When she can`t bear it anymore, Carol pushes against Ezekiel`s shoulders to make him lean against the backrest of his throne. She unbuttons his shirt and slides is down his arms, her hands trailing up and down his nicely muscled chest.

Carol brushes her knuckles over the evidence of Ezekiel`s arousal, slowly lowering the zipper of his pants to free his straining erection. She leans in for another kiss while she keeps stroking him, moaning into his mouth when she feels his hands on her ass, squeezing rhythmically.

Carol lets go of him and grabs his chin instead, holding Ezekiel`s gaze as she slides her other hand down her panties, running her fingers through her wetness. Ezekiel`s eyes follow her movement, watching as she touches herself, legs spread as far as the confines of his throne would allow.

“Shit” he whispers hoarsely, his fingers digging into her flesh.

Carol pulls her hand out of her panties again and reaches for his cock, but Ezekiel`s hand grabs her wrist and guides it to his mouth instead. He sucks her fingers into his mouth, licking them clean, her scent filling his nostrils. He can`t wait any longer, the need to join his body with hers the only thing on his mind. Ezekiel pulls her closer so she is hovering above him, holding himself in one hand, the other one pushing the crotch of her panties aside to allow himself access to her.

Carol rests her forehead against his, her arms wrapping around his neck as she slowly slides down on him. A small sob escapes her at the maddening feeling of having him fill her, stretch her. They remain still for a moment, Ezekiel giving her time to accommodate him, exchanging sweet kisses. Carol is the one to move first, softly rocking her hips against his. They keep their rhythm steady and slow, enjoying the intimate connection of their bodies and souls.

When the need to come becomes unbearable, Carol leans her body back, bracing her arms on Ezekiel`s knees, speeding up her movements. Ezekiel watches transfixed as she slides up and down on him, the pink hue of her skin contrasting his dark color, the wet sucking sounds of their mating driving him crazy.

“Zeke!”

His eyes snap up to look at her. She`s a vision to behold, her hair sticking to her damp forehead, chest glistening with sweat, her blue eyes almost black with her desire. She is shaking with the exertion and Ezekiel knows immediately what she wants. Reaching out, he pulls her panties out of the way and sweeps his thumb over her engorged clit – once, twice and then she is coming, pressing he lower body against his, squeezing him tight, the scream that falls from her lips filling the room.

Carol`s whole body is shaking with its release and Ezekiel quickly slides his hands up her back to support her, pulling her against his chest, cradling her in his arms. He does his best to ignore the almost painful throb of his cock still deeply buried within her, demanding to be satisfied. He gives her the time that she needs to come back to her senses and when she looks up at him with a dazed smile, he brushes the wet strands of her hair out of her face tenderly.

“Thank you” he whispers.

“What for?” Carol moves her hips a little, eliciting a small moan from both of them.

“For granting me the honor of being with you like this. For letting me see you like this. I feel blessed. You`re not just a queen. You`re a goddess.”

Carol`s heart does a flip-flop in her chest hearing his words. She has no idea what to say, so she just leans forward and kisses him with all her heart, pouring all her emotions into it. The kiss soon turns passionate again and Carol wriggles her hips against Ezekiel. Breaking the kiss, she whispers against his mouth “We`ve got some unfinished business here, methinks.”

“Indeed we do. Hold on.”

Securing his arms around her waist, Ezekiel gets up from the chair. Carol`s legs wrap around his hips instinctively as he turns to the side and gently places her on the table, carelessly pushing aside the papers he`d been working on earlier.

Carol leans back and Ezekiel follows her, unable to stop kissing her sweet lips. He has slipped out of her and when he tries to push himself back in, he is hindered by her panties. Pushing himself back into a standing position, Ezekiel drags the garment down her legs and lets it fall to the floor. Grabbing her thighs, he pulls Carol to the edge of the table, arms hooked behind her knees to keep her open for his attack.

Carol raises her hands over her head and grabs the edge of the table. Ezekiel enters her swiftly, then drags himself out again completely, repeating the action over and over. Carol starts whimpering every time he hits her sweet spot, trying to push herself against him, but not able to move much in der position. The need to come again is overwhelming.

“Faster.”

Ezekiel`s body automatically reacts to her plea, driving himself into her at full speed, the table rattling beneath them. It only takes a couple more powerful thrusts to set them both off, reaching their high together, his essence filling her in hot spurts. Ezekiel slumps forward, bracing himself on his elbows above Carol, his head sinking down on her chest. Her hands come up to rest on his head, holding him to her. Ezekiel nuzzles her breast, pressing a soft kiss to it.

“I missed you badly.”

Carol chuckles. “No kidding, huh?”

Ezekiel raises his head to grin at her, then presses his lips to hers in a soft kiss before pushing himself back up, groaning. He pulls out of her, watching fascinated as his semen slowly trickles out of her. He shakes his head, murmuring to himself “No, no, no, no.”

Carol raises up on her elbows to see what Ezekiel is doing, watching curiously as he reaches out and catches the fluid on his fingers, gently pushing it back inside her body. Her heart starts beating wildly, a fuzzy feeling spreading in her stomach, when he looks up at her intensely, his voice a deep sexy rumble “Keep it inside.”

They stare at each other, something passing between them that neither dares to speak out loud. Gently extricating his fingers from her, Ezekiel helps Carol sit up, pulling her into a tight hug. She wraps her arms around him, whispering into his ear.

“I love you so much.”

Ezekiel kisses her forehead, eyes closed. “As do I, my love. As do I.”

**The camp, now**

Outside their tent, Carol helps Henry to put on his armor, ruffling his hair and handing him his stick. It`s still early morning, but the camp is already alive with people going about their tasks.

“Be back in an hour. You and dad are going home.”

“Sure, mom.”

Carol watches as he rushes away, a proud smile on her lips. The past two days have gone by in the blink of an eye and she already dreads the moment when she will have to say goodbye to Henry and Ezekiel again. A lot has been going on, Aaron`s terrible accident the worst thing that has happened since they set up the camp.

Carol absentmindedly plays with the ring on her finger, lost in her thoughts. She can`t wait for the bridge to be finished, intent on going back home to the Kingdom afterwards. She still believes into Rick`s vision of a common future for all communities, but she also realized that maybe the Sanctuary wasn`t a part of that, no matter how hard they tried. She on her part wasn`t willing to sacrifice her family to it anymore.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

Carol turns to Ezekiel who approaches with two steaming mugs, handing her one.

“Thanks.”

She takes a sip, immediately realizing her mistake, the smell and taste causing a wave of nausea. Carol turns around and spits out the liquid, coughing. With a disgusted look she puts away the mug, swaying a little on her feet. Ezekiel watches her with a worried expression on his face.

“You should go see Enid” he says.

Carol looks at him, shaking her head. “I`m fine.”

Ezekiel takes a step forward, gently touching the side of Carol`s neck.

“This wasn`t the first time. And you`re not eating enough.”

Carol suppresses the urge to roll her eyes at him, not wanting to be rude when he was just being concerned about her well-being.

“I just don`t have that much of an appetite at the moment. Maybe I caught the bug that went around in Alexandria. It`s getting better.” She tries to reassure Ezekiel, leaning forward to give him a quick peck to his lips. Judging by the look on his face, he is not really convinced, though.

“Maybe you should be the one going home with Henry then.”

“Ezekiel, this is only gonna take a few more days. I`ll be coming home as soon as the bridge is finished.”

Although he is relieved that Carol has no intention of going back to the Sanctuary, Ezekiel still doesn`t like the idea of leaving her alone. On an impulse, he makes a decision.

“Then I`ll be staying here with you until that is done.”

Carol frowns lightly. “What about Henry? He needs to get back to school.”

“I will send Jerry back to the Kingdom with Henry and William. He can take care of things until we are back.”

Carol thinks about Ezekiel`s offer for a second, then nods in agreement. She wasn’t going to pass up on the chance to have Ezekiel stay with her.

So, an hour later they hug their son, waving goodbye to him as the wagon pulls out of the camp with their arms around each other, hoping it won`t be too long before the three of them will be together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I messed a little with the timeline for the purpose of this story. Hope you liked it anyway. 
> 
> Continue?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things at the camp are really starting to go down...  
> Takes place around episodes 9x03 and 9x04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite satisfied with the beginning, but I swear, it gets better. And sappy. Very, very sappy. Don`t say I didn`t warn you! (hangs her head in shame)

It wasn`t long after Henry left that things really started going down at the camp. It all started with one of the Sanctuary guys – Justin – going missing and then showing up again as a walker, obviously been shot in the back. There almost was a riot at the camp, the people from the Sanctuary claiming they were getting murdered, demanding to be handed guns in order to defend themselves. Of course, that was out of the question.

Ezekiel was glad that they had sent Henry home this morning, not wanting his son to get caught in the middle of an imminent fight. It was bad enough that Carol was still here, putting herself at risk. Ezekiel knew that she was more than capable of defending herself, more so than most, but he couldn`t help being worried about her, especially when it seemed that she was getting sick.

Ezekiel did his best to deescalate the situation, but the people from the Sanctuary wouldn`t listen. Only when Rick showed up and promised that he would find Justin`s murderer did they get the situation under control – at least for the time being. While Rick, Maggie and some others went out to search the area for some other missing Saviors – whom at first they thought had just run off – or at least some evidence of what had happened, Carol and Ezekiel stayed at the camp, keeping an eye on things.

“How are you feeling?”

Ezekiel approaches Carol who is standing on the old discarded wagon that serves as a watchpoint overlooking the bridge. She is watching the people working there, quietly at the moment, although there is still a hint of nervousness and restlessness in the air. Ezekiel wraps his arms around Carol`s waist from behind and she leans back against him, her hands resting over his. She turns her head to the side for a quick kiss.

“I`m okay. What about you?”

Carol knows that his question wasn`t so much about the situation, but more about her health condition, purposely choosing to not deepen that subject. She really didn`t think that it was something worth worrying about. Ezekiel recognizes her diversion for what it is, letting it slip for the moment.

“Good” he says, burying his face in her hair, deeply inhaling her scent.

Carol turns her head again, softly grabbing his chin.

“I`m glad you`re here.”

“There`s no place I`d rather be right now” Ezekiel replies.

They look at each other, laughing softly at his obvious lie.

“You don`t wanna be here anymore than I do” Carol says with a wink.

Ezekiel kisses the top of her head and together they keep watch, hoping that the situation will soon be resolved.

Unfortunately that is not the case, for when Rick and the others return from their search, another person from the Sanctuary has gone missing. Now all the leaders are gathered at the tent that serves as their headquarters, discussing what to do next, worried that the other Saviors will find out that another one of their people is probably dead.

“They think Arat is on watch through the night. Come morning they will know she isn`t here. If we don`t figure out what happened, the Sanctuary will be gone” Carol states the facts.

“If that happens, we won`t be able to finish the work. We will lose the bridge.”

Carol and Ezekiel exchange a look, irritated that Rick seems to be more upset about his project failing than the fact that people are getting killed or a possible fight between the different communities.

“Pair up with someone you trust. We`ll be out there until we find her.” Rick`s tone is annoyed as he leaves the tent, the others following him one by one. Ezekiel reaches for Carol`s hand as she passes him, holding her back.

“This isn`t going to end well.”

Carol fully turns to him, the worry in his eyes paining her. She would love to tell him that everything is going to be alright, but she shares his feelings of impending trouble. So, she just reaches out to place her hand on his cheek, stroking his face, the other one tightly holding on to Ezekiel`s hand.

“I know” she says.

For a moment they just stand there, drawing strength from each other before leaving the tent as well, their hands still clasped together.

They search the surrounding woods as it rapidly grows darker outside, more and more convinced with every passing minute that they won`t find Arat alive.

“I wanted to just pull the trigger, you know.”

They`ve been walking silently for a while, trying not to make too much noise in the darkness. Now Ezekiel`s voice draws Carol out of her thoughts and she looks at him with a slight frown on her face.

“At the camp. When that guy came at you.” Ezekiel explains. “I wanted to pull that trigger to put an end to it, before it could all start again.”

Carol is surprised by his admission, for she knows that Ezekiel is a man who only fights when absolutely necessary, valuing all life and seeing the good in people, something that she deeply admires about him. Much like Rick he believes in a future where all communities could live peacefully together, though he would do anything to protect the people he loved. Carol knows that his reaction is based on his worry for her. Reaching for his hand, she squeezes it, acknowledging his feelings.

“He`s not worth starting a fight over. None of them are.”

Sighing deeply, Ezekiel laces their fingers together.

“I really wanted all of this to work. But I`m not so sure anymore. What happened today – I don`t think that we can ever fully trust the people from the Sanctuary. At least not all of them.”

Carol had come to that conclusion a while ago, hoping against her better judgement that Rick`s way was the right thing to do.

“I think you are right about that. But we brought them out here, unarmed. And as long as they are here, under our responsibility, we need to keep them safe. Or else we wouldn`t be better than them.”

Ezekiel raises her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it.

“Every life counts” he says.

A sound to her right catches Carol`s attention and she presses a finger to Ezekiel`s lips to silence him, then motions for him to circle to the left, attempting to catch whoever or whatever is stumbling through the darkness between them. Concentrating on the direction from which she heard the sound, Carol draws her knife, not noticing that someone has snuck up behind her.

A push to her back sends her stumbling forward and before she can regain her footing, she`s grabbed from behind by a second person, her own knife being held to her throat in a deathly threat. Carol can`t see who has attacked her, but before she can even think of anything to say or do Ezekiel shows up in her line of vision, his pistol pointed at whoever is behind her.

“Drop the knife.” Ezekiel`s voice is cold as steel, belying the thundering of his heart. How dare this son of a bitch touch his woman? He recognizes the man holding the knife as the same who lead the riot at the camp earlier today, wishing he had indeed shot the guy right then and there.

“Sorry, man, no can do” Jed answers unimpressed. “Maybe you`re the ones who kill our people.”

“We are not killing anybody! We are trying to protect you!” Ezekiel spits out through clenched teeth, barely able to keep his emotions under control, the fear and anger robbing him of his ability to think clearly. His eyes are fixed on Carol`s, her calm appearance helping him to sooth his nerves a bit.

“Well, okay, then. We just want to go back to the Sanctuary and we need your weapons to protect ourselves. So, just hand over your gun to JD over there and you can have your girl back with her pretty face intact.”

Jed pulls Carol`s head back by fisting his hand in her hair, further exposing her throat. Ezekiel knows that in no way he would be able to take him out before he could hurt Carol and so he swallows down the hate that rages inside him, lowering his weapon. From the corner of his eye he sees Carol reach for her second knife that is attached to her right leg, immediately realizing what she is about to do.

Carol and Ezekiel exchange a look and the second Jed lowers the knife, they move in unison, Carol swiftly turning on her heels, ramming her short knife into Jed`s chest, Ezekiel dashing forward to hold his gun to JD`s head to stop him from attempting any interference. Recognizing their defeat, the two Saviors surrender, holding up their hands. Pressing a hand to his bleeding wound, Jed looks up at Carol, surprised that she didn`t kill him.

“Why not just take me out?”

Carol quickly glances at Ezekiel, who is still holding JD at gunpoint, although the man is not posing as a threat to them.

“Cause every life counts” she answers the question, not really sounding convincing to her own ears, but still holding on to that mantra.

“Now get back to the camp. We can patch you up there.”

Ezekiel motions for Jed to get up, letting him and JD walk ahead of them on their way back to camp, one hand still resting on his gun, the other one holding on to Carol, needing the connection with her.

Later that night when Ezekiel enters their tent, he finds Carol asleep on the small cot. After their return to the camp, they had waited for the other search parties to show up. It had been a shock to all of them to find out that Oceanside was behind the murders, but then again it wasn`t that much of a surprise given their history. They all knew that the fragile peace they`d been living in was at risk if the remaining Saviors found out, but Rick still insisted that they had to try and finish their work – that they had to try and hold on to the future he so desperately wanted to achieve.

When they had all finally separated ways, Carol had gone straight to bed, exhausted from the long eventful day. Ezekiel wasn`t able to sleep, though, sitting outside their tent, the image of the knife pressed to Carol`s throat haunting him. Back then he`d been more angry than scared, but now that the adrenaline has left his body, he`s trembling with the realization that he could easily have lost her today.

Closing his eyes, Ezekiel takes a deep breath, before bowing down to take off his boots and laying down next to Carol, spooning up behind her. She stirs, turning around in his arms and opening her eyes slowly, smiling when she sees his face.

“Sorry, I didn`t mean to wake you” he whispers, stroking her back.

“S`okay” she slurs, rubbing her nose against his chin. It`s dark in the tent, but Carol can basically feel the worried expression on Ezekiel`s face.

“Stop thinking about it.”

Ezekiel leans his forehead against hers. “He could have killed you.”

Carol slowly shakes her head. “He wouldn`t have” she says.

“What makes you so sure about that?” Ezekiel wishes he could share her conviction.

“Because you wouldn`t have allowed it.” Carol tilts her head up, pressing her lips to his, trying to communicate her faith in him.

“That and Jed basically is a coward. He`s got a big mouth and he`s an asshole, but not a murderer.”

Ezekiel scoffs, a part of him knowing that Carol was right, but still not quite able to shake the image from his mind. Sensing his restlessness, Carol slips her hands under Ezekiel`s shirt, caressing his skin. She`d been scared, too, but she survived worse things than that and she`s not about to let fear overtake her anymore. She was still breathing and so was the man that she loved. It was all that mattered.

She brushes her lips against his, teasing him with small butterfly kisses, eliciting a low humming sound from him that makes her smile against his mouth.

“Make love to me.”

Ezekiel doesn`t need to be asked twice. Cupping the back of her head, he descends his mouth on hers, kissing her softly. Carol`s hands slide up his back, her left leg curling around him as she rolls to her back, bringing Ezekiel with her. Deepening their kiss, he starts unbuttoning her shirt, pushing it open, his fingers trailing over her skin, from her neck to her bare legs and up again.

Carol doesn`t bother with the buttons of his shirt, just pushes it over his head before wrapping her arms tightly around him again, feeling the strength of his muscles underneath his skin. Ezekiel lightly brushes his knuckles over her center, making her shiver, then curls his fingers under her panties, tugging softly.

“Lift” he whispers against her lips, dragging the material down her legs when she does.

Carol reaches for the zipper of his pants, sliding it down carefully, then pushes his pants and underwear down as far as she can reach. Ezekiel settles himself in the cradle of her legs, his hardness resting between her folds, lightly rocking back and forth, sliding the head of his penis over her clit every time.

Carol wraps her legs high around his waist, her ankles locking over his back. Reaching between their bodies, she caresses his erection before pushing him down to her opening, welcoming him into her body. Ezekiel`s hands slide under her body, holding her in a tight embrace as he starts moving slowly, his mouth searching hers again in a sweet kiss, her hands weaving into his dreads, holding him to her.

They move together in a perfect rhythm, their bodies and souls connected in the most intimate way. They reach their high together, breathing into each other`s face, kissing every spot of skin they can reach. Afterwards, they lay in each other`s arms, refusing to break the connection of their bodies, arms and legs entangled. Ezekiel is almost half asleep when he hears Carol`s voice.

“Let`s head home tomorrow. All of us, the whole Kingdom.”

Ezekiel props himself up on his elbow, looking down into her face.

“What about the bridge? Oceanside is already gone.”

“And the Sanctuary will be gone, too. They will find out what happened. This project already is a failure. I wish it were different. But it is. I just wanna go home now.”

While she was talking, Carol had softly touched her fingertips to Ezekiel`s jaw, loving the feel of his soft beard. Now he turns his head just a little to kiss her fingertips, one after the other, then he takes her hand and places it over his heart.

“Then this is what we`ll do.”

Smiling, Carol kisses his lips again before turning in his arms, her back pressed to his chest, his arms wrapped around her. Together, they fall into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Carol wakes up to the sight of a bare-chested Ezekiel just zipping up his pants. When he leans down to pick up his shirt, he gives her a lingering kiss.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“Mmh, good morning.”

Carol languidly stretches her body on the cot, aware of Ezekiel`s eyes on her.

“You know, it`s times like these that I really wish for a camera” he says, his eyes slowly roaming her body, trying to commit the picture to memory.

Carol scrunches her nose, then sticks her tongue out at him good-naturedly.

“Like I would allow you to photograph me like this” she replies in mock indignation.

After their lovemaking she had fallen asleep with her shirt open, bra still on underneath, but no panties, the evidence of their coupling still visible between her legs. Humming, Carol smooths her hands down her body, rubbing her legs together. She turns her head to see Ezekiel`s reaction with a smirk on her face. He`s standing completely still, hands frozen mid-way while buttoning up his shirt, swallowing hard. When he hears her giggling, his eyes snap up to hers.

“Tease” he croaks out.

Still laughing, Carol swings her legs out of bed, standing up, but immediately plops down again as she is hit by a wave of nausea, pressing her hand to her mouth. Ezekiel rushes over to her, kneeling down in front of her. He reaches for the field bottle, offering it to her.

“Thanks.” Carol takes a small sip, then waits a moment before taking another one.

“Shouldn`t have skipped dinner yesterday” she says, reaching out to smooth her finger`s over Ezekiel`s eyebrows, noticing the skeptical look on his face.

“I`ll go to the doctor as soon as we`re back home” she promises.

“Okay, I will hold you to that” Ezekiel replies, knowing that Carol doesn`t take this “bug” seriously.

Rolling her eyes at him, Carol hands back the bottle, then tries standing up again. She feels better now and so walks over to her bag searching for some fresh panties. When she is properly dressed again, she turns around to Ezekiel, her hands on her hips.

“I`m really starving. Let`s go have breakfast.”

They head over to mess hall, grabbing some sandwiches and fruits, then sit in the far off corner from where they can watch the whole place, people coming and going, only few of them taking a seat inside, the atmosphere loaded with mistrust. Carol pushes away her half-eaten sandwich, reaching for an apple, turning it in her hands before putting it aside again as well, sighing.

“I thought you were starving.” Ezekiel looks at Carol with a raised eyebrow, trying not to sound too worried, glad that at least she doesn`t make the impression that she is feeling sick again. Carol rests her chin on her hand, elbow placed on the table, pouting at him.

“I was. I am. But this –“ she points at the sandwich “just tastes like crap.”

Ezekiel looks at the remains of his own sandwich in his hand, puzzled. He can`t detect anything wrong with it.

“It`s fresh bread from Alexandria. I thought you liked that.”

“I do. It tastes funny, though. I don`t know. I`d rather have something else.”

Ezekiel puts his hand on Carol`s knee, squeezing it affectionately. “And what would you like to have, my love?”

Carol considers his question for a moment, then looks at him with big shining eyes.

“Pancakes!”

Ezekiel laughs out loud, leaning forward to capture her lips in a sweet kiss.

“I`ll make you a big plate full of pancakes as soon as we`re home” he promises.

Carol grins at him, cupping his cheek. “I`ll be _very_ thankful for that” she says with a wink before pressing her lips to his again, giving him an idea of what to expect.

All of this is forgotten when they stand on the banks of the river a couple hours later, staring up at the burning bridge in disbelief, deeply shocked of what has just happened right in front of their eyes, Michonne kneeling in the grass before them crying Rick`s name over and over, held by Maggie and Daryl to stop her from attempting to reach the bridge. 

Carol staggers backwards, hand pressed to her mouth, the smell of the burning walkers making her stomach churn, the smoke causing a severe headache. Ezekiel notices her movement, turning around just in time to catch her when she drops to her knees, almost losing consciousness for a moment.

“Breath!” he orders, softly pressing Carol`s head against his chest, shielding her from the chaos around them. Carol grabs the lapels of his coat in a death grip, deeply inhaling his scent, trying to get the nausea under control. Ezekiel holds her tight, his hand stroking up and down her back, calming her. When she feels she can move without throwing up, Carol looks up into his face, tears shining in her eyes. Ezekiel gently caresses her face, his heart aching at her pain.

“I`m taking you home.”

Carol shakes her head slowly, taking in her surroundings, her friends, the bridge, the fire. A single tear slides down her cheek and she brushes it away absentmindedly. Rick. She looks at Ezekiel again.

“We need to search for him. He might still be alive.”

They get to their feet, but when Carol tries to take a step forward, the dizziness hits her again and she has to reach for Ezekiel to keep upright.

“You are not feeling well. I am taking you home now. I`m sure the others will search for him. It won`t help if they have to worry about you as well.”

Carol knows Ezekiel is right, she feels like shit, and therefore doesn`t argue any further when he carefully leads her back to their horses. He helps Carol up and before taking his seat behind her he instructs his people to help with the search, asking Diane to explain to Maggie why they had to leave. Looking over his shoulder at the burning remains of the bridge, Ezekiel feels bad for leaving their friends behind like that, but the woman in his arms is more important than anything else and he is intent on taking her home safely.

The next morning Carol is woken by the sunlight streaming through the open window of her bedroom, the familiar sounds of the Kingdom telling her she is home. Smiling, she reaches for Ezekiel, but the bed is empty. Carol sits up with a confused look on her face, searching the room. Ezekiel usually doesn`t get up before her, he loves cuddling in bed with her before they start their day.

As the sleepy fog lifts, the memories from the previous day come back full force, causing Carol to bury her face in her hands. She slowly gets out of bed and steps to the window, the scenery outside helping her calm her nerves. She feels much better today, although still a little dizzy, but Carol thinks that is caused by the bright sun which is already promising another hot and humid day. After a short stop to the bathroom, Carol makes her way downstairs, heading towards the kitchen.

She stops at the door, watching Henry and Ezekiel who are busy making breakfast with their backs to her. Carol is hit by a wave of emotions, the love she feels for the two of them overwhelming in its intensity. She feels tears welling up but blinks them away rapidly, instead stepping into the kitchen.

“That smells wonderful” she says as she approaches Henry, giving him a kiss on the cheek before turning to Ezekiel, wrapping her arms around his waist and puckering her lips for a kiss that he gives her gladly.

“How are you feeling this morning?” he asks, not able to keep the worry out of his voice.

“Better.” Carol answers truthfully. “Hungry!”

Henry beams at her, presenting her a plate full of pancakes.

“Dad says you wanted pancakes for breakfast!”

The tears are threatening to fall again, but Carol bites her lips, squeezing Ezekiel and ruffling Henry`s hair.

“Thank you.”

Henry puts the plate on the table, then turns to leave the kitchen, waving to his parents.

“Hey!” Carol calls out to him with a confused look on her face. “Where are you going? Don`t you want breakfast?”

“I already had some. I need to go to school now.”

He`s out the door before Carol can say anything else. She looks at Ezekiel who just shrugs his shoulders.

“You`re up late today, my love.”

He steers her to the table and places a mug with hot tea in front of her, handing her a fork. The pancakes really look delicious and Carol digs right in, humming in satisfaction. Ezekiel is relieved that her appetite is back as he couldn`t convince her to eat anything for dinner last night.

“Diane and everyone else returned late last night” Ezekiel now says. “They searched for as long as they could, but they didn`t find him.”

Carol looks at him with a sad expression on her face and Ezekiel reaches out to squeeze her hand.

“I`m so sorry. I know he was a good friend to you.”

Carol holds on to his hand, nodding slowly. She still has a bad conscience because she didn`t help with the search, but she is not really surprised that they haven`t been able to find Rick. Poor Michonne. Carol has never been that close to her, but she can imagine the pain she must be feeling now and feels sorry for her. And for Daryl. He and Rick were like brothers. Carol puts the fork down, rubbing her temple. She feels another headache approaching.

“So, what now?” she asks.

“I`ll be heading to Hilltop with Jerry and Diane, talk to Maggie. We`ll figure it out.”

Ezekiel expects that Carol wants to accompany him, ready to argue with her, but she remains silent, just looking at him. Reaching for his face she pulls him close for a kiss, then rests her forehead against his.

“Be careful, please. And come back soon.”

Ezekiel reluctantly gets to his feet, bowing down to press another kiss to Carol`s forehead.

“I`ll be back before it gets dark” he promises. He heads towards the door but turns around again, adding “And you go to the doctor!”

Carol gives him a small smile. “I will.”

Carol keeps her promise, walking into the infirmary an hour later, not quite sure what to tell the doctor. She feels much better now, quite good actually.

“Carol!” Before she can change her mind, the doctor – Alex – has spotted her and calls her in, motioning for her to take a seat. “I heard what happened at the bridge yesterday. I`m sorry. Is everything alright with you?”

“Thank you. Yes. – No. I, I don`t know.” Carol is stammering, mentally kicking herself.

“Did you get hurt?”

“No. Nothing like that. I – I think that maybe I caught a bug or something. I keep feeling sick. And dizzy.”

Alex nods his head. He knows that there was a bug going around in Alexandria a couple days ago, so it was possible that Carol could have caught it at the camp.

“Do you have a fever?” When Carol shakes her head, he keeps asking. “When did you first notice that you were feeling sick?”

Carol tries to pinpoint the time, but she really can`t remember.

“Sorry” she says “I don`t know. A couple days ago.”

“Okay. Well, can you describe the symptoms to me?” Alex asks.

Carol isn`t really sure how to do that, either, but tries anyway.

“Like I said. I keep feeling sick. And dizzy. Not all the time. It just hits me sometimes. Usually after I woke up. Or when I smell something. I seem to be a little sensitive when it comes to food. It`s – strange.”

Carol sounds silly to her own ears, cursing Ezekiel for getting her into this situation. There`s something nagging in the back of her head that she refuses to acknowledge, instead focusing on the doctor in front of her, challenging him to say something. There`s a knowing look on his face that Carol doesn`t like at all.

“That doesn`t sound like a bug to me” he finally says, crossing his arms in front of him.

Carol doesn`t answer, just keeps staring at him, her heart beating faster with every second.

“No?”

“What you describe is morning sickness, Carol. I think you might be pregnant. When was the last time that you had your period?”

Carol`s mouth has gone dry and she licks her lips. Alex is looking at her expectantly, waiting for an answer. Carol clears her throat, not trusting her voice to form a full sentence.

“What?”

Alex chuckles. He`s been a gynecologist before the world ended and it`s not the first time that he sees a reaction like this.

“When was the last time that you had your period?” he repeats his question.

Carol shakes her head to clear it, trying to think about the question, but she absolutely has no answer for it. Shrugging her shoulders, she holds her hands up in a helpless gesture.

“I don`t know.”

Alex gets up from his seat and walks over to the cupboard on the left side of the room, rummaging through a drawer. When he comes back, he holds a pregnancy test in his hand, offering it to Carol.

“Make a test. Come back when it`s positive.”

Carol stares at the test, reaching for it, turning it in her hands. Her mind is completely blank, her blood rushing in her ears.

“Is everything alright?”

Carol`s head snaps up to Alex who softly touches her shoulder. Without another word she jumps to her feet and practically runs out of the infirmary, suddenly in a hurry to get back home.

Half an hour later she is sitting on the floor of her bathroom with her back against the washstand, nervously playing with the ring on her finger. It took her a while to work up the courage to use the test and now she is waiting for the result. Carol has no idea how much time really has passed but she is sure that it`s been more than five minutes now and so she reaches behind her to get the test. When her fingers close around it, Carol closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. She counts to three, then at the same time opens her fist and her eyes, staring at the test.

When she sees the result, a small sob escapes her, tears slowly running down her cheeks. The test clearly and unmistakably says PREGNANT and although Carol knows that the tests are very old and may not be 100% reliable anymore, she knows that it is true. A part of her had suspected it already, but she had refused to allow the thought the fully form in her mind, scared to be disappointed. Now that she has been forced to acknowledge the possibility, Carol has no doubt anymore.

They made a child. Her and Ezekiel. A perfect little baby growing inside of her. They had never really talked about the possibility, but the longing had crept into Carol`s mind more and more recently, although she tried her best to quench it. She had been way too afraid to acknowledge her wish, thinking that probably it wasn`t possible to have a child anymore. Not because of her age, but mainly because of the many times that her shitty rotting ex-husband kicked or punched her.

With a shuddering breath Carol gets to her feet and washes her face, then makes her way to the kitchen. She needs to busy herself with something while she waits for Ezekiel to come home and so starts making some cookies, his favorite, a task that always has a calming effect on her. She can`t wait to tell him. Although Ezekiel never said anything, Carol knows without a doubt that he wants this child just as much as she does.

When Henry comes home from school, Carol makes him a sandwich, sitting down with him at the table and listening to him happily chatting away about anything that comes to his mind. She is grateful to have this boy in her life just as she is grateful for Ezekiel. They taught her that it is okay to love again, to come to peace with her past and look forward to the future. They made her life perfect, the sweet little secret inside of her just being the icing on the cake.

A part of her feels a little guilty for being so ridiculously happy under the current circumstances, but there`s another part of her that stubbornly believes she deserves this perfect fairytale after everything she had to suffer in her life. And she will fight with all her might to keep it.

When Ezekiel comes home late that evening, he finds Carol asleep on the couch on their porch. It has been a long, hard day for him and he`s tired, but seeing the love of his life curled up with a relaxed expression on her face, obviously waiting for him, lifts his spirits immediately. He removes his armor and sits down next to her, softly stroking her face to wake her up. Carol opens her eyes slowly, greeting him with a beautiful smile.

“Hey you.”

Ezekiel gives her a sweet kiss, then another one. “I missed you.”

Carol reaches out to caress his beard, stealing another kiss before snuggling into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Ezekiel wraps his arms around her and together they sit silently for a while, watching the last bit of daylight fade away. Summer has just begun, the air around them still warm, a soft breeze caressing their skin.

Carol is curious to find out what happened while Ezekiel was gone, but she waits patiently until he is ready to speak. She can already tell from his body language that he is not bringing any good news, not that she really expected it.

“We went out to the bridge again. There`s still no sign of him. Nothing. I doubt that we will ever find him, although Michonne and Daryl are refusing to give up their search. I understand their need. It`s hard to let go if you don`t have – if you can`t say goodbye. I wish there was anything we could do, but…”

Carol raises her head to look at Ezekiel, the sadness on his face touching her heart.

“You did what you could. We all saw what happened. Rick made his decision to protect all of us. I feel sorry for Michonne, too. And Daryl. But they will come around, although it will take some time. We will be there for them when they need us. That`s all we can do now.”

Ezekiel pulls her close, grateful that he can still hold her in his arms. He hasn`t forgotten about her bad condition yesterday, though, and even if she seems perfectly fine now, he has to prompt her again.

“What did the doctor say?”

Carol hides her grin in his neck, her heart beating faster instantly. She sits back so she can look at Ezekiel directly, her hands reaching out to hold his, her eyes shining, a soft smile tugging on her lips that she can`t hold back.

“He said it`s no bug.”

Ezekiel looks at her quizzically, not quite getting why she seems in such a good mood suddenly.

“No? Good. I think. But it`s gotta be something. What did he say?”

Carol bites her lips to stop herself from laughing out loud. Instead of answering his question, she reaches into her back pocket pulling out the pregnancy test and holding it out to him. Ezekiel looks down at her hand, blinking, not sure what he`s looking at in the dim light. He reaches for the item on Carol`s palm to bring it closer to his face, his eyes going round as he recognizes it, a huge grin appearing on his face.

“A baby?!”

“Yeah.”

They stare at each other, the love and happiness on their faces saying more than a million words could do. They reach for each other at the same time, mouths fusing together in a deep kiss. Carol sinks back against the sofa pulling Ezekiel with her, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist. When they part, they are both breathless, unable to move away from each other, peppering each other with small butterfly kisses.

“A baby” Ezekiel whispers again, a stunned look on his face. “How?”

Carol giggles, her fingers curling into his beard. “Do you need me to explain it to you?”

Ezekiel crashes his mouth to hers again, then suddenly gets to his feet, pulling Carol up as well and in a swift move has her thrown over his shoulder, marching inside.

“How about you show me?” he suggests.

Carol cries out in surprise, laughing and kicking her feet at the same time. “Dammit, Zeke, put me down!” He ignores her, though, and a second later she realizes the nice view she has from her position, stopping her fight and squeezing his delicious ass instead, humming in approval.

In their bedroom, Ezekiel unceremoniously throws Carol onto the bed, eliciting another fit of giggles from her that make his heart explode with happiness. Hearing her laugh was music to his ears and after quickly getting rid of his boots, he follows her onto the bed, covering her body with his, lips pressed to hers in a fierce kiss.

“Show me” he challenges again, his voice a deep sexy rumble that makes her insides quiver with want.

Carol doesn`t hesitate, pushing against Ezekiel`s shoulders to roll him to his back, straddling his lap. For a second she is tempted to just rip open his shirt but then remembers the tedious task of finding and sewing back on the buttons, something she swore to herself to never ever do again after the first – and last – time she did it. So instead, she pops open the buttons of his shirt with trembling fingers, pushing it open. Holding his gaze, Carol puts her hand on the impressive bulge in his pants, making him hiss, and with a seductive smile lowers her head, sticking out her tongue and licking up his body from his navel up to his throat and back down to tease his nipples, something she knows drives him crazy with lust.

Ezekiel groans, his hips bucking against her, his hand fisting into her short curls, tugging softly to make her lift her head, but Carol refuses, instead letting go of him completely, scrambling out of bed. Impatiently she pulls her own shirt over her head, followed by the rest of her clothing, sending everything flying somewhere. Ezekiel follows suit, then sits up with his back against the headboard, holding out his hand to her.

Carol crawls back on his lap, trapping his hardness between their bodies, rubbing her hips against him. Ezekiel`s hands grip her waist, his mouth descending on her breast, sucking greedily. Carol wraps her fingers around him, positioning him so she can slide down on him. When he is fully sheathed inside her, she grabs the headboard and starts riding him fast, succumbing to the overwhelming need of her body. They both know that they won`t be able to hold on for long but they don`t mind, knowing that there will be nice and slow before this night is over.

Afterwards they lie in each other`s arms, Carol sprawled on top of Ezekiel, listening to his heartbeat. He loves this full body contact with her, completely relaxed after their lovemaking. A thought crosses his mind as his fingers slowly run up and down her spine.

“This is going to be uncomfortable soon.”

Carol raises her head to look at him. “What do you mean?”

Ezekiel makes a vague gesture with his hand, pointing at their bodies.

“Lying like this. When your belly starts growing.” He smiles at her lovingly. “I can`t wait for that.”

Carol leans up for a kiss. “Me, too. And I`ll gladly take any inconvenience that comes with it.”

“I`ll do my best to make this experience as comfortable for you as possible, my Queen.”

“I`m sure you do. And I will take full advantage of it” Carol says with a wink.

“Any idea when it happened?”

Carol tilts her head a little. She`s been thinking about that all day.

“Well, I`m pretty sure it was the night you put this on my finger.” She wriggles her left hand in front of Ezekiel`s face.

He catches it and presses a kiss on it. “How fitting.” His mouth finds hers again and he rolls her underneath him, intent on showing her just how much he worships her and her beautiful body, which is carrying the greatest gift of his life.

**Epilogue**

Ezekiel wakes up to the feeling of his wife peppering his face with sweet little kisses, her long gorgeous hair falling around him like a curtain, tickling him. He reaches up and weaves his fingers into the soft curls, directing her mouth to his, tasting her sweetness. There just couldn`t be any better way than to start a day like this. Carol pulls back to look down at him, smiling.

“Happy anniversary!”

“Happy anniversary, my Queen!”

Ezekiel studies her face, wondering how it was possible that she seemed to be getting more and more beautiful with every passing year, looking so much younger now than the day he first saw her such a long time ago. He had fallen in love with her on the spot and there hadn`t been a single day where he doubted his feelings for her. She was his happiness, the light of his life, his Queen.

Ezekiel wraps his arms around her waist, rolling them to their sides, one hand slipping beneath her shirt and sprawling out on her back. Carol strokes the soft hairs of his beard that has gotten just a little bit greyer. Today is their 6th wedding day and as far as Carol is concerned, marrying Ezekiel was the best decision in her life. She tells him just that before pulling him in for a sweet kiss, hooking her leg over his hip to secure him against her.

They part when they hear the giggling of a child, catching some movement from the corner of their eyes. “I think we are being ambushed” Carol whispers into her husband`s ear and a second later the head of their son pops up at the foot of the bed, followed by his two younger sisters on his left and right, all three of them happily grinning at their parents. The children crawl up onto the bed, squeezing themselves between Carol and Ezekiel.

“We did not wake you!” Will says, looking from his mother to his father. “You were kissing!”

Carol chuckles, ruffling her son`s hair. Will was 5 and way too smart for his age. When she had found out that she was pregnant with him, Carol had considered him their miracle child, fully convinced that he would remain their only child. It was quite a shock to find out that she was pregnant again mere months after Will was born, especially when the doctor announced them twins.

Their daughters Ava and Eve were born almost exactly a year after their brother, turning their whole life upside down, but in the best possible way. Living with 3 babies was an immense challenge but Carol wouldn`t trade one single day of it, Ezekiel being the best father she could ever wish for her children. And with Henry they had a great babysitter at hand. The 3 small children admired their big brother, following him around the Kingdom any chance they got.

“No, you did not wake us” Ezekiel agrees with his son, pulling him into his arms to kiss his forehead tenderly, then reaching over to tickle his daughters, making them squeal in unison. Carol chimes in, tickling her son`s belly and before they know it, they have a mass of laughing, kicking children between them.

“Hey, I thought you guys wanted to help me!”

“Henry!” Ava is the first to untangle herself from her siblings, throwing herself into her brother`s arms, followed suit by her sister, who simply holds her arms up to Henry to be held as well. Henry doesn`t hesitate, balancing his sisters on his hips, pointedly looking at Will who slowly slides down the bed to join them.

“Help with what?” Carol wants to know, the sight of all her children making her heart overflow with love for them. They were all so beautiful, the three younger ones a perfect mixture of their parents with Ezekiel`s skin color and Carol`s piercing blue eyes. Will was a shade darker than his sisters, almost a complete copy of his father. Aside from their skin, the girls looked a lot like Carol, having inherited the shape of her nose and the beautiful curly hair. Not being their biological son, Henry stood out, but Ezekiel claimed that he looked exactly like Carol, their facial features indeed resembling each other. As far as Carol and Ezekiel were concerned, Henry was as much their child as the little ones.

“Pancakes!” the twins shout out, making Henry`s ears ring. He lets them down carefully, but they refuse to let go, holding on to his hands and dragging him out of the room, calling for Will to follow them, leaving Carol and Ezekiel alone again.

“We make beautiful children.”

Carol turns her head to look at her husband who stares at the open door with a proud expression on his face. Snuggling up to him again, Carol rubs her nose over his cheek, then leans in to whisper into his ear.

“What if I told you there`s another one on the way?”

Ezekiel looks down into her grinning face, mouth open in surprise. Another baby?!

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Slumping down on the mattress, Ezekiel pulls Carol back on top of him, a look of mock resignation on his face.

“Well, I guess one more doesn`t make a difference.”

They smile at each other, taking a couple more minutes to exchange sweet kisses before finally getting out of bed and joining their children for breakfast.


End file.
